Skate



Feb. 21,1939. L DEWANETAL i 2,148,417

SKATE Filed Sept. '7, 1937 INVE TOR Patentecl Feb. 21, 1939 UNITEDSTATES i 2,148,417 PATENT OFFICE sKA'rE York Application September '7,1937, Serial No. 162,716

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to roller skates and more particularlyto braking mechanism therefor and is an improvement over the inventiondescribed and claimed in our Letters Patent Number 2,080,766.

It is a primary object of our invention to prevent accidents in the useof roller skates.

It is another object to readily stop or retard the movement of rollerskates.

It is still another object to provide braking mechanism for rollerskates that may be readily mounted on the ordinary standard type ofroller skate without any modification of such skate.

It is still another object to provide a braking mechanism for rollerskates that is shock proof in use.

Yet another object is to provide a braking lmechanism that can readilybe repaired and replaced.

It is a further object to provide a braking mechanism for roller skatesthat is simple and rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of -the present inventionwill -be apparent from the description thereof to follow taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in whichi Figure l is a sideView of a roller skate with one ofthe rear Wheels removed to show theimproved braking mechanism.

Figure -2 is a side View with the rear end tilted to show the improvedbraking mechanism in operative position.

Figure 3 is a rear end view of the skate.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the improved braking mechanism.

Figure 5 is a detail View partly in section showing the mounting of thebraking mechanism.

The present invention is illustrated `as applied to a n ordinary type ofroller skate IO having a foot rsupporting member II, front wheels l2 andrear wheels I3. The rear wheels vare removably mounted as usual onanaxle M and are fastened thereto by nuts l5. The rear axle is supportedin a saddle or housing IB which also supports a rubber block l'l leavingthe sides thereof uncovered. The saddle IB is suspended from a bracketd8 fastened to the under side of the foot supporting member ll.

The improved braking unit l9 is detachably mounted on the rear axle l4at each side of the saddle l6 and block I'I. This braking unit comprisesa metal arm or shank having an opening 2l adjacent one end. The otherend of the arm is formed with an integral flange 22 disposed at rightangles to the arm. This fiange has a screw threaded bolt or stud 23fastened thereto and extending outwardly thereof. A frict'on member orbrake shoe 24 of metal is supported on the fiange. The brake shoe 25consists of a thick body portion 25 and a slimmer slotted portion 26disposed at a right angle to the body portion. When mounted on .theflange 22, the body `portion of the brake shoe extends otwardly in thesame plane as the plane of the arm 2.0, and the slotted portion extendsin the same plane as the plane of the flange 22. A nut 21 removablyfastens the brake shoe on the threaded bolt23, and a washer 28 may bemounted on the bolt between the nut and slotted portion of the brakeshoe.

The free end of the arm 2ll terminates in an inclined lug 29 and formedintegrally on the upper edge of the arm at a point approximately in linewith the opening 2 I` is a lug 30. i

In assembling the rear portion of the skate, a braking unit is mountedon the rear axle M at each side of the rubber block ll by inserting therear axle 14 through the opening 2l of the arm.

The `arm vis then moved into close contact ..with

the side of the rubber block ll. A rear wheel is mounted on the axle andmovedinto contact with the arm 20 of the braking unit. This arm isadjusted or positioned on the rear axle so that the brake shoe bodyportion 25 is positioned above the ground or other supporting surface asshown in Fig. 1. A nut Hi is threaded onto-the outer end of therear'axle and tightened to clamp the arm 20 of the braking unit betweenthe rear wheel and rubber block so that the terminal lug 29 bites into.the side of the rubber block and tends to hold the braking unit in.adjusted position and prevents relative movement between the parts.When in proper position, the upper lug 3d is underneath and in snugAcontact with the floor or base 32 4of the saddle 16.

VIn `operation 4when -it is desired to retard or stop the movement oftheskate, all .that it is necessary to do is to slightly tilt the rear endof the skate rearwardly and downwardly as shown in Fig. 2. The shape ofthe brake shoe is such that this tilting action will cause the entirebottom of the brake shoe to frictionally engage the ground as shown inFig. 2 and depending on the pressure exerted will retard or stop themovement of the skate as desired.

The slot and stud connection between the arm 20 and brake shoe permitsadjustment of the brake shoe' up and down as desired.

When the brake shoes are in frictional engagement with the ground, theyand the rear wheels provide a four point engagement with the groundmaking it difiicult 'for the feet or legs of the skater to accidentallyfiy out from under him.

Also when the skate is in tilted position, the weight of the skater istransferred to the lug 30 and any shock caused by the braking action isabsorbed by the rubber block II.

The free front end of the brake shoe may be made thicker than theremainder of the shoe so that it will stand greater wear at such point.

It has been found in practice that an individual using these skates maystop not only by putting one foot forward and tilting the skate to causefrictional engagement with the ground, but may even remove theV otherfoot from the ground and rest entirely upon the tilted skate therebycausing a greatly increased braking action since the whole weight of thebody is applied to the braking skate. However, the body weight is stilldivided between the rear wheels and the brake shoes.

In order to further increase the portion of the body weight applicableto the brakes, the brake shoe bottom is placed as closely as possible tothe vertical plane of the axle so that the leverage obtained is greater.In view of the fact that a lever is formed with the rear axle as afulcrum, the front part of the foot as the point of power application,and the heel as the moved body, the ease of rising and tilting the skateis increased and more of the weight of the body can be made to rest onthe brake shoes than on the rear wheels and thereby increase the brakingaction.

The brake shoes are positioned behind the rear wheels for the followingreasons: Under most outdoor conditions a certain unevenness of theground often causes the part between the wheels to be higher than wherethe rims are riding. It is evident that the brake bottoms must be placedquite low in order not to necessitate too great a tilting of the skateand thus in the above mentioned case the possibility often arises of thebrake suddenly engaging such an obstacle at high speed with consequentinjury. However, according to the present invention the wheels,themselves, rise over any ground irregularities and carry the brakesupwardly with them. Furthermore any small stones, etc. that mightotherwise engage the brake shoes are thrown to one side by the advancingWheels.

Changes in details might be resorted to without departing from theprinciple of the invention and .we desire therefore to be limited onlyby the prior state of the art and the appended claims.

We claim:

l. As an article of manufacture, a braking unit for roller skatescomprising an arm having an opening for receiving an axle, an integralflange formed at one end of the arm, a brake shoe detachably andadjustably mounted on said flange, a lug at the opposite end of the armand a second lug on the arm at a point between the flange and first lugand disposed at an angle to the plane of the arm.

2. As an article of manufacture, a braking unit for roller skatescomprising an arm having an opening for receiving an axle, a flangeformed at one end of the arm, a brake shoe detachably and adjustablymounted on said flange, a lug formed at the opposite end of the arm, asecond lug formed on the arm between the flange and first lug, and aslot and stud connection between the flange and brake shoe fordetachably and adjustably fastening the flange and brake shoe.

3. In a roller skate, a saddle member, an axle supported by said saddle,a rubber block supported by said saddle, a braking unit detachably andadjustably supported on the axle at each side of the saddle, means oneach unit adapted to cooperate with said rubber block for holding theunit in adjusted position and means on each unit adapted to cooperatewith the saddle for supporting the Weight of the skater.

4. In a roller skate, a saddle member, an axle supported by said saddle,a rubber block supported by said saddle, a braking unit detachably andadjustably supported on the axle at each side of the saddle, a lug oneach unit adapted to cooperate with said rubber block for holding theunit in adjusted position and means on each unit adapted to cooperatewith the saddle for supporting the Weight of the skater.

5. In a roller skate, a saddle member, an axle supported by said saddle,a rubber block supported by said saddle, a braking unit detachably andadjustably supported on the axle at each side of the saddle, means oneach unit adapted to cooperate with said rubber block for holding theunit in adjusted position and a lug on each unit adapted to cooperatewith the saddle for supporting the weight of the skater.

6. In a roller skate, a saddle member, an axle supported by said saddle,a rubber block supported by said saddle, a braking unit detachably andadjustably supported on the axle at each side of the saddle, a lug oneach unit adapted to cooperate with said rubber block for holding theunit in adjusted position and a second lug on each unit adapted tocooperate with the saddle for supporting the Weight of the skater.

7. In a roller skate, a saddle member, an axle supported by said saddle,a rubber block supported by said saddle, a wheel on said axle outside ofand at each side of said saddle, a braking unit between each Wheel andside of the saddle, each unit comprising an arm on said axle, a lug onone end of said arm in biting engagement with the rubber block, a secondlug on said arm in snug engagement with the saddle, a flange at theother end of the arm, a brake shoe on the flange, a slot and studconnection between the flange and brake shoe and means for clamping thebraking units between the wheels and rubber block and saddle.

LEON DEWAN. JOHN BARTHO.

